News + Features

Meet ChiChi The Pomsky!

She’s only a puppy, but we think she’s going to steal everyone’s heart on Instagram in 2018!

By Justyne Yuen-Lee

Did someone say Pomsky? Pomskies are a relatively new K9 hybrid of Pomeranian and Siberian Husky breeds. Their origins are believed to only date back to the early 2010s, but now, in 2017, they’re one of the hottest puppies on the market. Appearance-wise, they’re essentially mini Huskies and if that’s not adorable enough, then we just don’t know what is! We’re already beginning to see popular Pomsky accounts like Norman the Pomsky make their instagram debuts, with Riquel Olander of the We The Heroes Crew counting herself among famous Pomsky owners.

Making the decision to add a puppy to your home is a big one which is why we always advise people to exercise caution when researching a rescue or searching out a reputable breeder – and adopting a Pomsky is no different. Since the Pomsky is still a new crossbreed, it is vital that you do your research before bringing a puppy or older dog home with you. And remember, there’s no guarantee as to how small they’re going to stay! So, if you’re looking for a permanently-pint-sized companion always try and consider adopting a full grown rescue dog first.

Tonette and David did their research and recently made the choice to add an adorable Pomsky to their NYC home. They named her ChiChi and are soaking up every minute of puppyhood that they can get. As of December 2017, ChiChi has almost 3000 followers on Instagram and she’s growing more popular every day!

Living in the Big Apple, Tonette and David lead busy lives and ChiChi joins them on their adventures. They graciously agreed to answer some questions we had since we were eager to learn about their journey in bringing ChiChi home!

Tell us a bit about yourselves: Were you always dog people? Was adding a dog to your home together a priority?

Tonette and David: We’re working professionals from New York City and ChiChi is our first furbaby together. We’ve always loved dogs and had discussed adding a pet to our home, but we love to travel and do so quite often, so we felt it was never a right timing to make that decision. Having a dog and all the responsibilities that dog ownership entails just didn’t fit our lifestyle at the time. We didn’t make it a priority until after getting married and going on our honeymoon earlier this year.

How did you choose the Pomsky breed?

ChiChi started her life in her new home by discovering that she’s definitely a fan of sneakers. Someone call Michael Jordan! Get this dog some J’s

Tonette and David: When we started talking about getting a pup, we knew we both wanted a fluffy (good choice!) dog. David actually wanted a Chow Chow, but they are way too big for an apartment in Manhattan! We initially decided on a Pomeranian, but when we started to do research on them, one of our searches led us to a picture of a Pomsky! We absolutely fell in love with them – I mean how awesome would it be to have a miniature-sized Husky?

Tell us a bit about meeting ChiChi and bringing your puppy home. Was it love at first sight? Was it more exciting or nerve-wracking?

How could anyone resist this fluffy face!?

Tonette and David: It was definitely love at first sight. The breeder had sent us pictures of her and we were so in love. We couldn’t wait to for her to join our family. Tonette had to fly and pick her up, and that part was a bit nerve-wracking. She had never flown with a dog before was worried that a 4-hour flight was a bit long for 7.5-week-old puppy! To make things worse, ChiChi cried and attempted to escape from her carrier from the second we got on the plane. Tonette was worried the flight attendants would be strict about her having to stay in the carrier and that her crying would disrupt other passengers. Luckily, ChiChi was so cute that everyone wanted to see her and didn’t mind that she sat on Tonette’s lap the whole flight. The relief was short-lived because ChiChi was extremely fussy during the first half of the flight, which was totally expected since it was her first time in a new strange environment. Fortunately, acclimatized to her new surroundings and slept like an angel for the remaining duration of the flight.

It definitely pays to be cute. Good job, Tonette for making the journey! Puppies be puppies.

Was it a big adjustment to have a puppy at home?

Tonette and David: We don’t have any children yet, but we almost want to say it was like coming home with a baby! We had to puppy-proof everything in the apartment, and she cried all night in her crate the first couple of nights (again, like a baby!) We also had to set up a schedule and figure out who would walk her and feed her and when. We both work during the day, so we had to hire a dog walker. We both stayed home for the first few days and interviewed different dog walking companies to find someone who we felt comfortable with.

Has ChiChi destroyed anything?

Tonette and David: She’s still a puppy and teething, so she is chewing everything she can get her teeth on — shoes, towels, socks, belts, paper — you name it! We have so many toys for her, but she still always finds something she’s not supposed to get into, if she can. She has even gnawed at a few edges of our wall paneling, but fortunately she hasn’t really destroyed anything, except for some shoelaces.

Did she get comfortable in your home straight away?

Tonette and David: We had to get a playpen and gates to section off parts of our apartment, and we have to keep an eye on her, because otherwise who knows what she’ll end up chewing. Although we don’t think keeping her in a playpen will last very long – she’s starting to figure out how to climb it! She’s a little escape artist. But yes – she’s definitely claimed our space as her home.

You’ve entered doggy community on Instagram with ChiChi’s account, were you surprised at your follower growth?

ChiChi on the way to steal everyone’s heart.

Tonette and David: When we first started ChiChi’s Instagram account, we only expected our friends to follow, and maybe some other Pomsky accounts since we also followed them. We were surprised at how many followers she got and how quickly it happened. Her pictures started to get featured on other dog accounts, and that’s when we started to see a lot more followers, likes and comments. We weren’t expecting that. Although I shouldn’t be so surprised because I personally followed a lot of dog accounts too that I thought were cute! lol

Tonette and David: The Pomsky community [on Instagram] is great! It’s not a common breed, so we get excited when we find another Pomsky to follow, and better yet if they’re in our area. For example, there was a group chat among a few accounts once they realized they were all in NYC, and they just had a meet-up this past weekend. We wanted to go, but unfortunately ChiChi doesn’t have all her shots yet. We’re looking forward to the next one though!

Do you have any advice for people who are considering adopting a puppy?

Tonette and David: Be prepared and have a lot of patience. It’s a ton of responsibility and training takes time – they are babies after all! Also make sure that the kind of dog you choose fits your lifestyle. But it’s so worth it, with their cute puppy eyes, and the unconditional love they give you!